1 John 1:1-4 ESV
27 APR 2025
1John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
He wrote this letter, we have it still and we are reading it today, so that we may know of the eternal life offered to us by our Creator. This letter is primarily to encourage us.
We will study the first 4 verses of chapter 1 (one sentence!) and in this short text this morning we see John start on two important threads: the incarnation and the fellowship it brings. Both of these ideas will be talked about again as we go through the letter. John tells the church how important it is to understand who Jesus is and how that should affect our lives and our relationships with others.
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
• John is writing to tell us about something that has existed since the very beginning. there is only one thing: God.
• And this God has been seen by his own eyes, touched with his own hands.
• He is talking about Jesus, who was and is God himself, and John is writing this letter because of his position as a witness to it all!
• He calls him “That which was from the beginning”. Jesus has always existed. He took on a human body the better part of 2 millennium ago, but he has always existed. He is the uncreated God.
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
• Jesus came to earth from the spiritual realm. He “was made manifest” means he took up a body, became like you and me with flesh and blood, hair and limitations.
• And the purpose of his letter is so we will know that Jesus was not some legend or myth, but that he really was a man, who lived and taught what he did.
• We have a letter that a man you and I never met, written two thousand years ago. He is using what he’s got at his disposal to impart the importance and the evidence behind what he saw.
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
• God became man. We saw it with our eyes! And now, we are telling you about it, so that you can be in fellowship with us.
• What did John see? Transfiguration, crucifixion, Jesus asks him to take care of his mother, he leans up against Jesus and asks who will betray him. He knew who Jesus was.
• The point of this letter is so that you and I can be in fellowship with other believers, the ones who did see it and experience it first-hand.
• The truth of Christ Jesus bonds us together unlike anything else.
• Matthew 12:48, Jesus says: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
• John desires to tell us these things; he knows the truth and he wants to share it with us. He has a responsibility to share, I believe he was compelled because of the spirit in him, and because he knows his spiritual satisfaction will only increase by sharing it further!
• This is true for all of us today; a Christian takes joy in sharing the good news, in declaring the truth about God. We call the gospel the good news because we believe that! It is exciting to talk about and we love to see others embrace it!
Takeaways
What is your reaction to the witness accounts of the bible?
• As I researched this book I was comforted and amazed at how robust the historical record is surrounding this. The legitimacy of the manuscripts, the amount of referencing and quoting by other early church fathers
• Talk to me after if you have questions on this, I am no expert but I spent a lot of time looking in to it and was encouraged and would love to share it with you.
Are we in fellowship with other believers over the things of God?
• Fellowship in Jesus is unlike anything else
• Find your teammates. Pick each other up. Allow yourself to be held accountable to your brothers and sisters. Be one in Jesus.
• “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1
Am I sharing?
• It can be tough to share our faith. It is personal, and sometimes private. This is hard for me
• John is a great example however, that a Christian should wear it on his sleeve. The truth that we know about the world is draped over us, and we can get the same outcome as John. Our joy is made complete in sharing the work God has done in our lives.
• Do I believe that my joy will grow?
• Encourage you this morning to complete your joy, don’t keep it to yourself
• Knowing who Christ is, believing what he has done and living in fellowship with Him and fellow believers brings us complete joy.
1 John is not a to-do list for Christians. Instead, it is a letter proclaiming what has been done, in sending his son to die for us.